The Resistance: Book III
Chapter Two
Devil With the Red Dress
Allura awoke enveloped in the scent of the man she loved. She proceeded to stretch seductively, sporting a wicked smile- a smile that quickly faded upon the realization that she was, in fact, alone. He's. not. here. Alas, it was just Keith's shirt. Regardless, the princess had slept better than she had in weeks because of it. She turned and looked at the clock on her nightstand. Crap! It's 0800 and I missed PT…great…just great! She jumped out of bed and ran to her bath suite. Where the hell is Nanny? How come she hasn't been here?
The princess showered at record speed then began to get dressed. That's it…I'm done dressing like a frumpy cupcake! Taking advantage of the fact that Nanny had decided not to show up that morning, Allura pulled out an ensemble that she had purchased during her stint on Earth. The red sleeveless sheath dress stopped just about an inch above her knee, and she decided to pair it with black patent leather platform pumps. The princess opted to put her hair up into a relaxed french twist with a simple pair of her mother's teardrop diamond earrings, accompanied by a thin tennis bracelet and platinum watch. She kept her make-up simple, sweeping a bit of blush on her cheeks, a light gloss on her lips, and accented her already lush lashes with a bit of mascara. Perfect, thought the young monarch while gazing at her reflection in the mirror. She looked classy and sophisticated with a definite hint of sexy.
After hiding Keith's shirt, Allura smoothed out her dress, and quickly headed out the door before Nanny had a chance to see her. She wasn't in the mood to battle her, at least not yet. Nanny took great pride in the clothes she created for the princess and despised it when she wore anything store-bought; however, the princess knew how much responsibility her governess already had on her plate and didn't want to burden her with the prospect of creating a new wardrobe. She had to find a way to let Nanny know that it was time to outsource the dress-making, even though she knew that her feelings would be hurt. Ugh…can't deal with this now.
It was just shy of 0900 which meant that the team had already taken to the skies. Allura let out a heavy sigh at the thought that she was not up there with them. Rather than resign herself to a predictable fit of pouting, she decided to push her annoyance aside and head to the dining room for a good cup of coffee before attacking all the proposals that were bound to be on her desk. See, I can be rational the princess giggled to herself. Nearing the dining hall, she was surprised to hear voices…their voices. With a broad smile, the young heir straightened herself up, pushed the doors open, and waed into the dining hall with a slight sway in her hips reminiscent of a model cascading down the runway of a fashion show. All eyes immediately fell upon her.
Lance let out a deep whistle. "Damn woman!" he hooted.
"Princess, you look fantastic, if I may say so myself." added Pidge.
"Yeah, a real babe!" continued Hunk.
Allura smiled her gratitude. "Why, thank you boys." She said and turned to look at Keith, who gazed at her with parted lips yet remained speechless.
"Nothing to say, Commander?" she said with a raised brow.
'You're breathtaking, Blue' Keith projected, Meeting her eyes before speaking aloud
"Red…most definitely your color." He answered with a wicked grin.
A smile swept across Allura's face as she became lost in the intensity of his warm chocolate eyes. "Yes, yes it is." She replied almost breathlessly, definitely increasing the heat in the room by several degrees.
Pidge, feeling a tad bit awkward with the smoldering looks, cleared his throat as a distraction. "Um, how the heck did you convince Nanny to let you leave your room wearing that?"
The princess painfully tore her gaze away from the commander and exhaled deeply before turning to face Pidge. "Simple, she doesn't know." Allura shrugged. All four of them groaned.
"Well, that's our cue to get outta here!" said Hunk.
"Yeah Princess, I suggest that you go lock yourself in your office if you want to keep wearing that. Nanny will drag you back to your room for sure!" chuckled Pidge.
"She could, but it wouldn't matter. I left instructions with Lucinda to get rid of all my old dresses. The only thing left in my closet are a couple of outfits I brought back from Earth." She paused to let out an exaggerated sigh. "It's just so empty now. Lucky for me I suddenly have all this free time on my hands to go shopping." She glared at Keith. The captain rolled his eyes and refused to respond. The last thing he wanted was to engage her in another battle of words. "Hmmm." She moaned as she tapped her finger on her chin. "I guess I'll need an escort if I'm going to go into town. Wouldn't want to be accused of 'breaking the rules' and all." She paused again as Keith crossed his arms in front of him and narrowed his eyes at her. She then shifted her attention to Lance.
"Lance, would you take me? I need a man's opinion and you certainly know what looks good on women." Allura declared in a sultry voice.
Lance grinned with approval at his friend's suggestive tone. "Gee, I don't know… watching you model for me…or more training, that's a tough one." He said, gesturing with his hands as though he were physically weighing both options. "Oh I guess I'll just have to suffer with watching you model for me." Lance chuckled as he waggled his brows up and down.
Allura giggled back while Pidge and Hunk grimaced, especially after noting the stormy look on Keith's face.
'What are you up to Allura?'
'Nothing, just need to go shopping and I know how concerned you are about my going into town unescorted'
'That's not what I meant and you know it'
'Oh…come now…I wouldn't dream to bother you with such a trivial task as taking me shopping. I know you have much more pressing issues to address, Commander.'
'So, you'd rather model for Lance.' He projected as he raised his brow at her.
She narrowed her eyes momentarily before flashing him a smoldering look. 'My love, if you were to take me I doubt that I would be doing much…modeling…or shopping for that matter'
'No…I guess not' he projected with a smirk.
Lance rolled his eyes in annoyance, realizing that they were doing there 'stupid mind-talking thing' again. Glaring at Keith, he said "Really?" with a huff before turning toward Allura
"When do you want to go, Your Hotness?" he smirked, knowing fair well that the princess was using him- and he most certainly didn't mind.
She turned her attention back to Lance. "I was thinking sometime after lunch. I still have a lot of work to do but I should have most of it done by then." The Red Lion pilot nodded his agreement. The princess then walked over to the serving table, grabbed a cup of coffee, said her 'see-you-later's' and made her way toward the door when Lance yelled out.
"So, are we only shopping for clothes or other things as well." He said with a devilish grin.
Allura swung her head around and glanced over her shoulder, seductively. "Don't push it, McClain." She winked and left the dining hall.
As soon as she was out of sight, Keith smacked him upside the head. "What the hell's the matter with you?" he said in a raised voice.
Lance laughed at his friend as he rubbed the back of his head and slowly got up from the table, Hunk and Pidge joining him.
"Don't worry, Bro. Princess is safe with me." He said and patted Keith on the back.
"Yeah Cap, I'm sure he won't do anything you wouldn't do." Said Hunk with a hearty roar as he and Pidge followed Lance out the door, all three laughing loudly at their commander's expense. Keith sat back in his chair and gave a disgruntled huff.
xxxxx
It felt as though Allura had been reading through proposals all day yet it had been just shy of a couple hours. Her people were trying desperately to get back on their feet and bring Arus to the glory it once held. Because of this, the princess' desk was flooded with proposals and new ideas that required funding, lots and lots of funding- which, of course, was nowhere to be found. The proposals were not substantial enough to spark the interest of investors on stable planets, the majority of which found investing in Arusian projects too risky with the knowledge that Lotor had resurfaced. Allura, however, had an overabundance of faith in her people and it pained her to have to turn down so many great ideas. She could only hope that one day she would be able to accept more than she would deny. As it were, the princess could not say 'yes' to any of them; at least not until she reached the last one in her current pile. Her eyes widened. Could it be possible? She immediately activated her vid-screen and contacted the Alforian Institute of Technology. The headmaster answered and quickly composed himself realizing that the Crown Princess of Arus was on the line.
"Your Royal Highness! To what do I owe the privilege of this call?" said the headmaster in awe of the young monarch.
"Relax Headmaster Varith. I am contacting you in regard to a proposal I received from one of your fourth year students." She said.
"A proposal? I was not aware that one had been sent. It must have been done so without my approval. I deeply apologize, Your Highness." He said, lowering his eyes.
Allura raised her hand to stop him. "Please Headmaster Varith, do not apologize. I am actually quite intrigued and impressed with this proposal and would like to speak with the gentleman who sent it on. Would you mind getting him for me? I believe his last name is Iasona." she asked, kindly.
"Of course, Your Highness. Right away." The headmaster immediately pressed a button on his desk comm. "Professor Whitley, could you please ask Mr. Iasona to come to my office right away?" he stated.
"Of course Headmaster. Mr. Iasona heard you and is on his way down." He replied.
"Thank you, Professor. Carry on." Ended Varith. "Your Highness, as you heard, Eugene Iasona is on his way." He paused and after a few moments… "Ah, here he is." He said and motioned to the door. A very thin yet tall young man hesitantly walked through the door. Allura smiled- Eugene Iasona instantly reminded her of Pidge, minus the glasses.
"You, um, you asked to see me sir?" said the young man.
"Mr. Iasona. It appears as though you sent some sort of proposal to Her Royal Highness Princess Allura without prior authorization…" he began but Allura interrupted, noticing the instant paler of the student.
"Headmaster, with all due respect, I am quite pleased with the submission of Mr. Iasona's proposal. If you do not mind, I would like to speak with him, alone." She said, firmly.
The headmaster nodded. "Of course Your Highness." Said Varith as he bowed and left the room.
Allura turned her attention to Mr. Iasona who appeared to be quite nervous. "May I call you, Eugene? Believe it or not, I am not one for formalities." She smiled. He looked at her in awe and timidly nodded his head. The princess gave a soft chuckle that instantly seemed to relax him. "Eugene, I have to say that I am very intrigued by your proposal. Allow me to be blunt…is this for real?" she asked, enthusiastically.
The young man cleared his throat and looked up at the princess, bright eyed for the first time. "Yes, Your Highness, it certainly is. I have tested it out myself several times." He replied with confidence.
"How is it that this is the first I've heard of this?" she inquired.
Eugene let out a soft snort. "Unfortunately, Your Highness, politics are everywhere. Sometimes we younger scientists and engineers are more often than not ignored or not taken seriously. My team and I have full confidence in our project and believe that it has the capability of bringing Arus back to the forefront of aeronautics and technologies." said Eugene, emboldened as he spoke of his passion.
The princess grinned. "If this is legitimate, Eugene, I happen to agree with you to the fullest extent and am ready to present your project for funding." She paused, noting the excitement in his eyes "Of course, I am not the only one you need to convince. I would like you and your team to put together a presentation for Captain Kogane and 1st Sergeant Stoker. I would also like Sergeant Stoker to review and test your findings. He could do this in the facility of your choice, of course. If they are as confident as I am, which I am sure they will be, then we will proceed for funding. Do you think that you and your team can do this by, let's say, Friday?" she offered and noticed the young man straighten his posture and stand tall with certainty.
"Absolutely, Your Highness! We will be ready to present all of our findings on Friday!"
"Wonderful, Eugene! Be at the Castle by 0900. I will speak to the captain as soon as we terminate this call." She nodded.
"Thank you, Your Highness! You will not regret your faith in us!" he bowed in respect.
"I'm sure that I will not, Eugene. We will see you on Friday." She smiled once more and terminated the conversation.
"Who's Eugene and why do you need to talk to me about him?" said a familiar voice.
Allura, a bit startled, threw her gaze up to meet the one of her beloved. She narrowed her eyes in confusion and quickly looked toward her door, noticing that the interior lock had been activated. The princess then looked back at him with an arched brow.
"Interesting." She paused. "How did you get in here without me noticing?"
"I've been told that I have stealth-like abilities. I guess they were right." Keith said with a sly grin. "Besides, you were so engrossed with Eugene that you didn't notice."
Allura chuckled. "Actually, Eugene has stealth abilities as well although quite different from yours… but I'll get back to that in a moment. What exactly are you doing here, Commander? Shouldn't you be leading drills right about now?" she said with a smirk.
The princess slowly sat up and moved to the front of her desk and, leaning back against it, she crossed her arms in front of her. The Voltron commander let his gaze peruse her form from head to toe, lingering on her long, well-toned legs clad in the sexiest heels he'd ever seen. He then looked at her, projecting the feeling he experienced. Allura's eyes widened and he chuckled in response.
"It appears as though I am currently short a Blue Lion pilot since Sven isn't arriving until this evening, so I decided to cancel practice today. I suddenly found myself with some free time on my hands for the first time in almost two months. Amazing how I ended up here, of all places." He sighed as he slowly slithered his way closer to her.
Allura deepened her smile, loving this side of Keith; the carefree, fun, flirtatious side that she so rarely ever got a chance to see. She hadn't seen it in weeks, or was it months? Who cares! The young royal was planning on enjoying every second of it. Who knew when she would get the chance again. The captain was getting closer and she immediately felt all hot and bothered. It had been so long since she touched him, since he touched her. Allura bit her lower lip as her mind raced with what she would like to do to him.
'I felt that you know' he projected, causing her smile to grow even brighter.
"That was the plan, Commander." She answered seductively.
Keith placed his hands flat on her desk and slowly leaned forward, stopping his lips within an inch of hers. He looked down into her eyes and whispered "I've missed you, Blue." he rested his forehead against hers.
Allura returned his loving gaze and brought the palms of her hands up to caress his face. "Not nearly as much as I have missed you, K." She replied breathlessly as she entangled her fingers into his thick raven hair, pulling him in to close that miniscule gap between their lips.
The motion was all it took for them to become completely lost in each other- their minds and bodies engulfed in the passion they had suppressed for so long, too long. Keith pushed his princess farther onto the desk and she wrapped her legs around him, eagerly unzipping the top of his flight suit, hungrily touching every inch of his tight abdomen before moving up to his chiseled chest and around his shoulders to pull it off him completely. The impassioned princess then slowly ran her fingers down his back as she sweetly devoured his lips. Bringing her hands to his abs once more, Allura dared to draw them down as she began to undo his belt. The captain wasn't holding back, returning every touch and moan with the same fervor as he slowly unzipped her dress and slid it down her arms, allowing it drop to her waist while he touched and caressed every inch of her taut body, hungrily devouring along the way. Keith lifted Allura off the desk, her legs still wrapped around him as he lowered her down onto the couch in her office. She thrust up to him in need, need to be one with him after so long. He trailed his lips down her neck, to her collar bone, to the valley between her breasts. The princess moaned in pleasure from his touch, his breath tickling every part of her. She pulled him up to kiss him once more as she leaned into his ear and whispered.
"Make love to me Keith, please. I need you" she pleaded.
Keith gazed into her eyes, his own full of yearning and desire to be with her. How could he say no? So he didn't. They made all-consuming love in her in her royal office, on her royal couch, as Castle life continued to bustle on around them.
xxxxx
An hour had come and gone. The Arusian monarch found it difficult to tear herself away from her captain as they lay naked on the couch- her head resting on his chest, leg draped over his body, as she ran her fingers along his chiseled frame to the rhythm of his steady beating heart. In his arms, Allura felt more content and relaxed than she had in months. Keith continued to use his feather light touch to trace her spine, occasionally using his free hand to play with her hair as he planted tender kisses onto her head.
"We have to get up, Love. I'm sure they're already looking for us." He said, regretfully.
The princess sighed against him. "I know, I know. I just can't bring myself to let go." She said as she paused to look up at him.
Keith smiled deeply. 'You're so beautiful' he projected as he began to speak. "I love you, Lura." He said, breathlessly. Allura leaned in to her commander, kissing him passionately once more. She pulled away and looked at him.
"And I love you, more than you could ever imagine." She paused for a moment as she continued to gaze into his eyes. The princess furrowed her brow "Keith, we can't go on like this. We need to figure something out." She declared.
He reached up his hand to caress her cheek. "I agree, Love, and I'm working on it. You have to trust me. Please, just trust me." He sighed.
"It has nothing to do with trust, Keith. Of course I trust you…with my life. That doesn't change the fact that I need you…I need this…we need this, K…intimacy." Keith sighed and closed his eyes while Allura continued. "Keith…look at me" she said as she ran her finger along his chin. He gently grabbed her hand and returned her gaze.
"What do you want from me, Blue? What can I do? I don't know what to do. The same reasoning still stands…we can't go public with this…not now." He whispered.
She shook her head "I know that, and it's not what I'm saying but, we need to find a way to be together, to find time for each other. I'm not like you, Keith. I wish I could be. I don't know how to put it aside." She said and noticed the hurt in her lover's eyes.
"Is that what you think I do? Just put it aside as if it were nothing?" he said, slightly offended. "No, Keith. That's not what I meant" she replied apologetically.
Keith cupped her face with his hands and gazed deeply into her eyes. "Listen to me, Allura. It kills me that I'm not with you the way that I want- we want… to sleep with you next to me every night and wake up with you every morning, to kiss you, touch you, make love to you whenever I want…whenever you want. When I become overwhelmed I think about what would happen if Lotor knew, if he got ahold of you knowing that we're together, what he'd do. I think about the nothing that my life would be without you. Protecting you is more important to me than anything. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you. Do you understand?" he whispered against her lips.
The princess looked upon him with adoring eyes. This man loved her with every fiber of his being and she had been giving him such a hard time, behaving so childishly, so irrationally. What had she called him? Oh yeah, frigid. She cringed at the thought.
"I'm so sorry. I never meant to hurt you or give you such a hard time. I've just never felt this way before, Keith. I'm a strong woman, nothing fazes me but you…with you I'm vulnerable…I don't know…I just, I need you and I've never needed anyone before. Forgive me, my love, for the way I've been acting." She pleaded.
Keith responded by kissing her tenderly, projecting his feelings of love, filling her heart with the hope of a future to come…their future. Eventually, she had to pull away. The couple smiled at each other then sighed, knowing that they really did have to get up and get dressed. Lunch was in ten minutes and if they were late, Nanny would send out the cavalry for sure. As they got dressed, Allura remembered the proposal.
"Oh! I almost forgot. I need you and Pidge at 0900 on Friday."
"Why? Does this have something to do with Eugene?" he smirked.
She rolled her eyes at him and giggled. "Yes it does, Captain. All joking aside, this has the potential of being really big, Keith. That's why I need you and Pidge to meet with him and his team." She said, in a serious tone.
"OK, now you've got my attention. What's this all about?" His curiosity peaked.
"Eugene Iasona is a student at the Alforian Institute of Technology. He, somehow, snuck a proposal to me for a project he and his team have developed." She began.
"Ah, I see…he needs funding. What's the project?" he inquired further.
"Oh, you'll love this…stealth spacecraft." She responded.
Keith was skeptical. "Allura, stealth spacecraft already exist and have for centuries. What's so special about this?"
Allura smiled broadly. "Yes, but not like this. These spacecraft are stealth in every sense. Not only can they not be detected on radar, they physically 'disappear'. You cannot see them…period. They are completely undetectable…invisible, almost non-existant, if you will."
Keith's eyes widened. "Are you serious? They can do that?"
"My love, we Arusians are rooted in the metaphysical and the unknown…we created Voltron, remember? We were known for our mystical aeronautic and technological advances. This is exactly what we need to put us back on the map…make us a frontrunner once more." She said, taking on her full diplomatic confidence. The captain looked at her and smiled. The Arusian monarch was quite an amazing woman… and she's mine!
"Well, I'm intrigued, that's for sure. If this is legit, then you're right, this is exactly what Arus needs." He paused for a moment as he watched her slip the sexy heels back on. Damn that's hot.
'Keith!' she mentally lectured.
"Uh, sorry, yeah, anywho…where are you planning to get the funding? You obviously have something in mind or you wouldn't have insisted that Pidge and I look this over." he said with assurance.
Allura looked up at him and motioned for them to head out. "As a matter fact, I do." She answered while avoiding his gaze.
Uh oh…that's not good. "Who, Allura?" he asked, afraid of the answer.
Allura bit her thumbnail nervously and turned to walk down the hall before she answered. Making sure they had both made it into the hallway, the princess blurted in a single breath "I'm going to make an offer to Galaxy Garrison and the Alliance." then cringed in anticipation of the rant that was about to come.
Keith stopped dead in his tracks. The princess pretended not to notice and continued to gracefully walk down the hall when he reached out to stop her. Blue's pilot dropped her shoulders and turned to face him.
"Princess." He said, with a slight hiss, knowing that she had purposely made sure that they were out in a public area before she sprung this on him. "Have you lost it completely? Why would you go with this to the Garrison?"
"I know how you feel about this, Keith... but who else can I get to fund this project but a military stronghold? No independent company in their right mind would agree to fund a project on a planet that is in the midst of a heated war!" she insisted.
"That's not true and you know it! It's all a matter of how you present it. Come on, Allura! How is this in the best interest of Arus?" he posed.
"Gee, I don't know…providing craft for all Garrison and Alliance partners?" she said in a raised voice as she broke away and began to walk toward the dining hall.
The captain marched behind her, grabbed her arm, and spun her around again. "Princess, you know better than anyone that the Garrison and the Alliance have never done a single thing in the best interest of Arus. Hell, they completely ignored you for years. You had to practically beg them to send us. They don't give a damn about you or Arus. You need to find another way." He said, sincerely.
By that time, Lance had approached them as well. "Sounds like were talking about my favorite backstabbers. What did those assholes do now?" asked Lance in a huff. Allura threw him a look.
"Oh they haven't done anything, Lance- but our Princess is about to hand them the goose that laid the golden egg." Keith snorted as he glared at her.
"Keith, what do you want me to do?" she said, frustration in her voice.
"You know what I want you to do, what we all want you to do…but that's beside the point." He stated.
"Oh my god, Keith! I cannot have this debate again. Arus is not in the position to withdraw from the Alliance!" She said.
"Like hell you're not!" interjected Lance. "They haven't done shit for Arus, Allura…ever! We're bound by all their dumb ass rules and regs…for what? We need to do things the right way…our way…and they tie our hands every time while Lotor runs rabid and they do shit about it. Screw them!" yelled Lance as he turned to Keith and high-fived each other.
Allura looked from one to the other. "Wow, you really are two peas in a pod aren't you?" she said, holding her head in exhaustion.
"When it comes to this? Absolutely! The whole Force agrees, and so do your people in case you haven't heard." Responded Keith as he crossed his arms in front of him.
Allura narrowed her eyes at him. "I know damn well what my people want, Captain. They want a certain man to be named Prince Consort as well…or do you only listen to them when it's convenient for you?" she snarled.
Lance chuckled, knowing fare well how much the Arusians wanted a union between Keith and the princess. The two had been tabloid fodder for a while which lead Nanny to watch them like a hawk. Keith threw him a disgruntled look.
"What, Bro? She's got a point…" he laughed.
"Shut up, Lance." He spat. When they turned back to face the princess, she had already left them and was seated at the table for lunch.
"She's a sneaky one that girl. Gets a rise out of you and high tails it out of here. Typical!" Lance snickered.
Keith sighed in exasperation and ran a hand through his hair. "Lance, you don't know the half of it." he said as he looked at his friend.
"What was that all about, anyway?"
"I'll tell you later. Let's go in before I have Nanny on my case too."
Lance nodded in agreement and the two friend walked into the dining hall in hopes of having an uneventful lunch.